Edward Ardizzone’s long and prolific career spanned over half a century. He died in 1979, one of England’s most beloved artists and illustrators. The man who gave us the definitive illustrations for Trollope, the stories of Eleanor Farjeon, and the beloved Tim and the Bold Sea Captain series was also an artist who could never resist the temptation of filling his letters to family and friends with enchanting vignettes and sketches. Like all of his work, these were done quickly, humorously, and lovingly, with a sure touch for outline, wash, and color that always distinguished his work. For the first time, here is a selection of those letters, envelopes, and illustrations, selected and edited by Judy Taylor, longtime children’s book editor at the Bodley Head and among Ardizzone’s closest friends and correspondents.
Whether from his diaries of a boat trip down the Thames, his sketches of Italy, Egypt, North Africa, and India, or the simple and immediate drawings he would dash off while visiting friends and relatives, these spontaneous, gentle, and vibrant sketches show him, his life, and the England he so loved at their best.